(Enclosed is a brief description of the world, called Umaran. Feel free to read it, but be warned, it may or may not contain spoilers? depending on your definition of spoilers. It's not gonna give away a huge plot secret, anyways, but maybe some minor plot devices. You've been warned :P Have at it.)

Umaran

Umaran is a parallel continent. What happens on one side of the continent is reflected on the other side. In the center of Umaran is a depression, where the Wellspring, a massive lake, lies. Around it are the Silted Marches; home to the Skaldians, after the hatchling wars. Beyond the marshes sits one of the desert rings. There are three desert rings in all, one for each Desert Stone, which were forged in a BC era for Umaran by pharaoh kings to punish those tribes who refused to submit. The desert rings are home to typical desert beasties. Beyond the first desert ring, (They are numbered in order from Closest to the Wellspring to farthest.) is a band of Forest land. In this first Forest Band is Utharan, the human capital. The home of Magi, Stonecutter clans, and misc. other human creatures. Beyond the first forest band is the Second Desert band, which is double the size of the first. If the first desert band takes two weeks to cross, the second takes four weeks. Beyond the second desert band are the Deathpeak Ranges. A ring of massive mountains, full of trolls, ogres, demons, giant spiders, wyverns (Wild dragons, much stupider) and other mountain dwellers. These mountains also extend in wavy lines all the way to the Wellspring. The Wellspring has offshoot rivers, which seed their way across the land, as the mountains do. Beyond the Deathpeak Ranges is the third, and last desert Ring. It is home to massive, deadly sand tornados, thunder birds, mummies, giant scorpions, and other horrors. Beyond the last Desert Ring, there are the Icy Reaches. This is where the solid ground of Umaran begins to deteriorate. It begins to turn into icebergs, treacherous thin ice, and seas of frigid water. Yetis and ice dragons, and other icy denizens populate this area. Beyond that, the ice deteriorates into salt water, and is shrouded in mist.

Currency and Denominations

Currency in Umaran is flexible – typically, however, one hundred coppers equal a silver. Fifty silvers equals a gold. Beyond that, a store will not have the money to make change, and as such, there is no currency beyond gold. A couple copper could buy a pastry, or a sack of flour, or a dozen eggs. Ten silver could buy a horse, or build a peasant’s house. Armor, and things having to do with magic, are the most expensive items in Umaran. They will most likely be dealt with in gold, dependent on quality.

Cultures in Umaran.

Life in Umaran is at a rather primitive stage. Basic human rights, well, they don't exist really? There are some morals, but they're spread by the most popular church, which is flexible. Typically, you'll see humans in basic feudal living circumstances, impoverished and under the thumb of a local lord. Demi-humans are treated in a rather callous fashion, and are looked down upon for the most part. Dwarves drink too much, and they're short. Elves are hoity-toity, and most humans don't want anything to do with them. Skaldians are more hated than feared, given the circumstances surrounding their people, which I won't speak about here. There are races of demi-humans, but they aren't for the most part seen in human inhabited areas, preferring the seclusion of their own villages and packs. Overall, the people of Umaran are would be called unpleasant by more civilized cultures, but they live life in the present, with an unquenchable passion, doing their best every day, to make it through, in a tough world.

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Physiology of Dragons

Dragons are one of the most widely revered, and equally feared, races in Umaran. When first born, a dragon is fully capable of slaughtering a human. They are initially about two feet long, and a foot high, and pure muscle. They are equipped with the ability to breathe fire, both inward and outward, as easily as you or I would draw breath. Their claws are about six inches long, and razor sharp, their teeth about two inches long and equally sharp.

They are born into sentience, unlike humans, which require a number of years before they're even capable of feeding themselves. The body of a dragon will mature quickly, we call this the growth phase. Within a year, they will become as tall as the chest of a human, and twice as long as a human lying down. Their wings grow to an impressive span, fully capable of lifting the scaly beasts into the air, along with a load of up to three hundred pounds. Their hunting habits typically involve striking from the air, flying into the sky and then crushing their prey with their weight, while rending them with teeth and claws.

Dragon scales are considered the holy grail of equipment, in terms of strength and weight. They're truly impressive. They weigh as little as possible, to not hinder flight, but are still tougher than the hardest blends of steel we can create, and their defense against fire is impenetrable. These scales come in a variety of colors, but typically tend to stick to the more natural hues, suited for the environments in which they dwell, such as white, black, green, and tan.

Lastly, dragons never cease their growth. When they reach about twice as tall as a human, and three times as long, their growth slows dramatically, more than likely due to the constraints of feeding anything that grows larger than that. Reportedly, dragons can have life spans in excess of thousands of years, but of course, no human can live long enough to tell if it's true.

                                                -Excerpts taken from the annals of the sage-priest Kun.